Liu Zhiheng clutched his head; the prestige he had just established had been so easily destroyed by his father!
Zhimin and Xiujie chuckled to themselves, then rushed into the yard to find Jia'an, Jiaxi, and Maoge'er to play with.
Soon, the mischievous group successfully reunited and went off to cause trouble somewhere...
The village chief, waving his pipe, laughed and scolded the village boys, "Quickly put Jiaren and Lige down, lest our scholar fall!"
The boys chuckled as they saw Jiaren and Lige'er up the steps, then dispersed, laughing and joking.
Jiaren and Lige quickly straightened their clothes and then bowed to their elders.
"Good, good boy, get up quickly!" Old Master Liu quickly reached out and helped Jiaren up. The village chief also helped Lige'er up, and then led them into the house, followed by Old Lady Li and Li Lao Er.
The room was soon packed with people, chatting and laughing, so lively it was almost as if the roof was about to be lifted...
Hui Niang led people in and brought in several fruit platters, which contained sliced jade melons and golden fruits.
Fearing that people might misunderstand, the village chief quickly said, "These were bought from the big locust tree, from our melon garden. We haven't dared to pick them yet... In a few days, we'll present them to the Emperor first, so he can have the first bite, and then we can open the garden."
Everyone nodded in agreement, took the jade melon and golden fruit and started eating. Perhaps it was the first time they had eaten them in a year, but everyone thought they tasted pretty good.
Old Master Liu thought about things more deeply.
Many people in the imperial court, or in private among various aristocratic families, often talked about the Zhongshan Earl's Mansion and felt that the emperor favored the Li family too much.
But why don't they look at what the Li family did?!
Even a single melon had to wait until the emperor took the first bite before it would be allowed to be opened to the public for sale.
Such loyalty and gratitude are truly rare.
Look at them, they only think about constantly squeezing benefits out of the emperor, but never think about giving anything back to the emperor.
If anyone were emperor, they would probably prefer the Li family to those who sing praises but are greedy and shameless at heart!
In the courtyard, the village women had almost finished all the chores.
Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru put on their aprons and were ready to start frying, stir-frying, and cooking.
With so many women around, gossip was inevitable, and it was such a festive time, so in no time the kitchen was bustling with activity, like a pot boiling over.
Jiayin hadn't seen Madam Wen for a long time, so she rushed into her aunt's arms and acted coquettishly. She then bowed to Madam Liu, "tricked" her into giving her a sky-blue peace buckle to hang on her waist, and then happily took the snack box and went to play with her brothers.
Zhimin and Xiujie were looking at the two brothers, Jia'an and Jiaxi, with envy, thinking that they would go home and beg their grandfather to let them go to Quanzhou as well!
Cat Brother was very frustrated because he had been making a fuss for two days, but his family refused to give in and wouldn't let him go south with his two older brothers.
Jiayin came over and saw her brothers sitting on the big tree at the entrance of the village, so she insisted on going up to them.
Shui Ling was also very bold; she carried her young master on her back and quickly climbed up.
Five children sat in a row on a tree trunk as thick as a bowl. Four boys and a chubby girl were sitting in the middle. It was a funny sight!
Jiayin opened the snack box, and the group shared the snacks.
The pastries were fragrant, crispy, and sweet, and even Cat Brother forgot his earlier frustration.
On a hot summer day, sitting on a tree trunk, enjoying the breeze, the shade, and snacks—there's nothing more pleasant and comfortable than this.
Jiayin couldn't help but sigh, "If only I had a camera!"
Capture this moment, so that when they grow up and go their separate ways, they can still look at the photo and remember these happy times from their youth...
After they finished their snacks, Dongmei came over. She jumped up from under the tree, picked up Jiayin, and said with a smile, "Dinner is ready at home. Fourth Madam made braised lion's head meatballs. Young masters, hurry back, or you'll miss out."
The four boys' eyes lit up immediately, and they slid down the tree trunk and ran home.
When Madam Liu saw that her two sons' satin gowns were all torn and ripped, she scolded them a couple of times. Finally, she said to Old Madam Li, "My daughter is so much better. My two boys are driving me crazy."
Grandma Li was holding her chubby granddaughter, shaking her head with a wry smile. "Other people's daughters may be quiet and well-behaved, but ours is a little devil! Look at this dress, she just changed into it this morning, and it's already stained with grass stains, I'm afraid they can't be washed out..."
Everyone laughed; mischievous children really do exist regardless of gender.
Grandpa Liu called his grandson forward and said, "Something came up earlier and delayed us. In a few days, we'll send them to Luo'an to keep Jiaren and Lige'er company. They don't need to learn much; if they only learn a little from Jiaren and Lige'er, our family will be very grateful."
Li Lao Er quickly said, "Zhi Min and Xiu Jie are both good children, just a bit playful. The Luo An Academy has a free academic atmosphere, and the teachers are very knowledgeable. They don't force the children to study hard all the time, which is really good."
"It's good that the two children are going to school. We also run a canteen at home. They live in the dormitory and eat in the canteen, so we don't have to worry about anything."
Li Laosan also said, "Our family also has a courtyard outside the academy, so it's convenient for the boys to stay there occasionally."
Madam Liu quickly said, "We already have a courtyard in Luo'an Town. We'll send someone to tidy it up in the next few days. With the two boys at the academy, we'll have to ask you to take good care of them."
“But that courtyard is just sitting idle anyway. I’ll give Yu Ru a key, so if we have a lot of people in our family, we can go there to stay occasionally and treat it like our own home.”
Grandma Li didn't refuse and said with a smile, "Sure, let the boys go over and cause some trouble every now and then. If the house is empty for too long, it will fall into disrepair without any human presence."
The two families are very close, and they can explain things in just a few words without much formality or small talk.
Soon, the banquet was set out. The men were in the front yard, the women and children were in the back yard, and the villagers were in the courtyard.
Although there were many people, arrangements were made for them all.
In no time, everyone raised their wine bowls and congratulated the two young scholars, making Jiaren and Lige blush, but they still returned the greetings generously.
Li Zhensheng and Li Lao Er's eyes welled up with tears.
What could make elders happier than their children succeeding?!
Everyone ate, drank, chatted, and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.
Li Lao Er and Li Zhensheng, along with Jia Ren and Li Ge'er, went to each table to offer toasts and express their gratitude to the villagers for their kindness.
In the backyard, the women, impatient with the stuffy heat inside, set up their banquet under the grape trellis. Since they didn't drink alcohol, they finished eating quickly.
Madam Wen asked, "When are Jia'an and Jiaxi going south with the ship? Those two boys must be overjoyed."
"They'll be leaving in a couple of days," Old Lady Li replied. "These two boys are so impatient, they wish they could grow wings and fly away right away! Luckily, Jiayi and Liu Yang have been with the fleet several times, so they're familiar with what's going on the road and can keep them in check. Otherwise, I really wouldn't feel at ease."
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